Emulsifying device



May 19, 1936. H. c. JOHNSON EMULSIFYING DEVICE Filed Dec. e, 1954 Patented May 19, 1936 UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE 7 Claims.

My present invention relates to a device which may for convenience in describing it be termed a Creamer, devised more particularly for the purpose of forming from butter and either skimmed milk, or unseparated natural milk, an emulsion rich in butter fat, and corresponding in character to cream, of such richness as may be desired. The object of my invention is to provide a simple and inexpensive device of this character, suitable for household use and which, by reason of structural features in the mechanical construc- 'tion of the parts, shall function in a most efiicient manner and be highly useful and desirable in attaining the desired results; With this purpose in view I have designed and invented the emulsifying device, or Creamer, hereinafter described in detail, and my invention resides in the novel construction and arrangement of the parts, combinedi and cooperating as described, as hereinafter more particularly pointed out in thel appended' claims. Y

g In the accompanying drawing I have illustrated my invention in a preferred form, and also illustrateda modified construction ofcertain of the elements` thereof. Y

Figure 1- is a front view of the preferred form of my invention, the bowl of the creamer being Y.shown in section to show the parts arranged therein;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation ofthe same, certain of Ythefparts being shown in section;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section of the principal Working parts of the device, in planes indicated by the broken dotted line 3-3 of Fig. 2; viewed in a direction indicated by the arrows; and

Fig. 4 is a horizontal detail section, in a plane 'indicated by the dotted line 4--4 of Fig.f3.

Fig. 5 is a detail vertical section of a modified construction'of the lower end of the cylinder and the nozzle'of theldevice; and

Fig. 6 is a horizontal detail sectionV of such modifiedform of my invention, in a plane indicated by the dotted line 6--6 of Fig. 5.

Like reference characters indicate like parts in: all the figures of the drawing.

The supporting frame of my crearning device may conveniently include, as illustrated, a horizontal plate I', adapted to support a pitcher or other receptacle, continuous at the rear with a vertical bracket plate 2, which may be formed ofi any suitable strong and preferably light mat'erialsuch` as cast aluminum. The top of the bracket 2 Visformed with a socket adapted to receive a. pin 3, secured to a block 4 formed on the (Cl. SiS- 267) lower side portion of a bowl 5, preferably formed of metal.

The top of the bowl 5 is formed with bearing lugs 6-6 arranged to receive the ends of a shaft 'I formed with a central bend 8 to serve as a crank for transmitting power to the operating parts hereinafter described. To one end of the shaft 1 is secured an operating crank 9 equipped with a handle I0 by which the crank may be rotated.

Describing now the parts directly concerned in producing emulsification of the butter and milk, the lower end of the bowl is formed with an axial boss II arranged lto receive a cylindrical plug I2 which, as shown, extends upwardly into the l. bowl a short distance and is formed with a central bore or cylinder communicating. through a circular row of orifices I2a with the space in-V side the bowl at its lowest portion. The lower end of the plug I2 is exteriorly screwthreaded to provide a readily detachable connection for a removable nozzle I3. The lower end of the plug I2 is formed with a small axial bore I4 arranged to receive a pin I5 fixed centrally to the top of the nozzle I3 and slightly smaller in diameter than the bore I4 of the plug, thus providing an annular passageway around the pin of small dimensions. It willbe noted that when the nozzle is removed the bore I4 is unobstructed and is of such capacity as to form a drain opening of restricted size, but larger than the emulsifying annular passageway provided when the nozzle is secured to the cylinder.

The top of the nozzle and bottom of the plug are centrally counterbored around the axis of the parts to form an axial chamber I6 (see Fig. 3) and the bottom of the chamber communicates through a pair of small converging' channels I1- I'I in the nozzle with the discharge orifice I8. It is obvious that the chamber I6 may be formed wholly in the topl of the nozzle, or bottom of the plug, if desired.

Within the chamber I6 and surrounding the pin I5 is arranged a washer I9 which is formed of soft rubber of a character not affected materially by a moderate degree of heat, and of a compressible and elastic nature. This washer is of such thickness that when the device is not being operated and the parts are at rest, the Washer contacts at top and bottom with the opfposed upper and lower walls of the chamber I6, and preferably is under slight compression.

The central bore o-r cylinder of the plug I2 is arranged to slidingly receive a plunger 2l)y which is formed with ears 2I--2I at its top to provide a Y lII pivotal connection with a link 22 pivoted to the bend 8 of the actuating shaft, whereby reciprocation of the plunger 20 in the cylinder of the VYplug may be effected. The arrangement is such that at the top of Ythe stroke of the plunger the orifices I2a of the cylinder will be uncovered, while at the bottom of its stroke the lower end of the plunger will extend nearly, but not quite, to the bottom of the cylinder. Y Y

The top of the plunger 20 carries an agitator 23 having a flat top slotted to accommodate the movement of the link 22 and a flaring or funnelshaped skirt extending downwardly which in d lowermost position extends toV within a short distance ofAV the bottom of the bowl 5. The agitator may conveniently be secured to the plunger by a pair of screws seated in the-ears 2|, as shown,- see Figs. 3 and 2.

The procedure followed in operating the device will now -be'described before explaining the operation of the mechanism. 'It will be understood thatthe butter operated upon may be either salt- .ed-or unsalted, though a slightly diierent procedure is followed in the'difierent cases.

AboutV one-eighth of a pound of butter to one pint of milk may be used to produce a cream of ordinary richness; "If unsalted butter is used f the milk and Ybutter areheated and stirred together until the butter is melted, though the mixture should no-t be allowed to boil. The mixture so prepared is then ready to be put through the machine.

Y If salted butter is used the butter is boiled with a suiiicient quantity ofwater until the butter is meltedand thenis placed'in the Creamer and the nozzle I3.removed, which will permit the water (which has then taken up the salt) to drain outY through the drain opening inthe bottom wan of Vthe cylinder.Y As soon as the water has drained offl (which can be detected by the change of color in the stream), the nozzle is replaced and the heated milk placed in the bowl, and the 4mixture imay then be pumped `through as in the case rst described, the mixture coming through the nozzle in the emulsied Vcreamy state, desired. l IfV a richer cream be desired the proportionof vbutter may be increased, a proportion of about one-fourthV pound of butter to one-.half pint of fmilk resulting in a rich whipping cream.

-The operation of the pumping mechanism, contstructed as hereinbefore described, as is follows:

Assuming that the 'cylinder I2 is full of a mixture of melted butter and milk and the piston 5 is descending from the top of Vits stroke, the interior of the cylinder is shut oil' from the inside of the bowl as soon as the .piston closes off the Y Y p orts or orificesY |221, and the mixture trapped below it is placed Vunder pressure which forces it vdownwardly:through the annular passage around Vthe pin I5,- the washer I9 yielding slightly as the mixture is squeezed laterally overiand past it to Vthe annular space at the outer edge of the Washer,

whence it passes through the pair of small passages II to the discharge oriiice of the plug. The

Vmixture is thereby thoroughly emulsiiied in its Y passage from the cylinder to the plug outlet.

On the upward stroke of the plunger the washer I9 acts as a valve toprevent any substantial quantity of the mixture below it in the nozzle, or air from the outside, from returning to the cylinder, and the pressure in the cylinder is reduced until the ports I3' l'are opened,V when a further charge of the mixture is quickly sucked in and the operationabove described ,is repeated.

, In Figs; 5 ,and 6 I have illustratedY a construc- Vin the discharge orifice of the plug and of outside L into said central discharge oriiice.

communicating with small vertical channels v34 l0 leading into a common discharge orifice 35. The capacity of the annular channel around the pin 33 and the channels 32 and 34 is so small, relatively to the displacement of the p1unger,that

Vupon the `downward movement of the plunger the l5 mixture is forced out at high pressure and speed through these small passages, whereby it is eiectively emulsiiied, while upon upward stroke of the plunger but a small quantity of the mixture air can enter to relieve .the vacuum created on Y the upstroke before the piston clears the orifices ,or` ports at the'bottom of the bowl anda fresh jcharge of mixture is drawn into the cylinder. Y

It is obvious that in this construction theradial channels 32-may be formed in the lower face of the cylinder, insteadof in the top of the nozzle, if desired.

I claim: Y Y

1. An emulsifying device comprising a bow1, a 130 plug at the bottom of said bowl` formed with aYV cylinder having ports communicating with said bowl and having a verticalroriiice at its bottom,

a plunger in said cylinder controlling Ysaid cylinder ports, a nozzle secured to said cylinder and 35 equipped with a vertical pin extending into said orifice and of slightly smaller diameter, saidnozzle being formed with a central discharge orifice and also with emulsiiyingV passages of small div,

mensions extending radially from the annularvio space around said pin and communicating with small vertical emulsiiying passages winch open 2. An emulsifyng devicecomprising aY bowl,

cylinder having ports communicating with said Vbowl and having a vertical orifice at its bottom, a plunger in said cylinder controlling said cylinder ports, a nozzle secured to said cylinder and M equipped with a vertical pin extending into said v50 orifice and of'slightly smaller diameter, said nozzle being formed with a central discharge orifice and also with a radially-extending emulsifying Passage Communicating with the annular space around Said Din and also communicating with w plurality of small downwardly extending emulsifying passages which'communicate with said discharge orice. Y

3. An emulsifying device comprising a 'frame,

plate including a horizontal supporting stand por- 60 tion and a rear vertical bracket, a, bowl supported `Vby said bracket and having a ported emulsifying cylinder extending vertically through its bottom, a discharge nozzle secured to the lower end of said,.

cylinder above said supporting stand portion of"6'5 the frame, said nozzle and the lower end of said cylinder being provided with1 small emulsifying passages, a plunger in said cylinder cooperating with the cylinder ports and equipped Ywith an, agitator secured to its top formed with a. depend-" ing flange arranged to approach into proximity with the inside of the bowl at the limit of lits downward movement, an operating handle `and shaft rotatably mounted in bearings 4carried by..., the upper Vportion of saidV bowl and having a`:"?`5

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a plug at thebottom of said bowl formed witha' central crank portion, and a link pivotally connecting said crank portion and the top or said plunger. Y

4. An emulsifying device including a stationarily supported bowl having an emulsifying cylinder extending downwardly from its bottom, said cylinder extending also upwardly inside said bowl, a nozzle communicating with said cylinder formed with small emulsifying passages and with a communicating discharge opening, .a reciprocating plunger in said cylinder equipped with an agitator, said agitator having a flat top portion secured to the top of the piston and a depending funnelshaped iiange portion arranged to descend nearly to the inside of the bowl at the lowermost point in its travel.

5. An emulsifying device including a bowl, a cylinder having ports communicating with said bowl and formed with a centrally oriiiced bottom wall, a reciprocating plunger in said cylinder arranged to govern said cylinder ports, a nozzle secured to the bottom of said cylinder and provided with a pin extending into and of smaller diameter than the orifice of said bottom wall, said nozzle and/or bottom cylinder wall being formed with a recess concentric with said central orifice, and a washer of elastic material in said recess of greater diameter than said central orifice in the bottom of the cylinder wall and less diameter than said recess, said nozzle being formed with a discharge opening communicating with the annular space around said washer.

6. An emulsifying device including a bowl, a

cylinder having ports communicating with said bowl and formed with a centrally orii'lced bottom Wall, a reciprocating plunger in said cylinder arranged to govern said cylinder ports, a nozzle secured to the bottom of said cylinder and provided with a pin extending into and of smaller diameter than the orifice of said bottom wall, said nozzle and/or bottom wall being formed with a plurality of small radial emulsifying channels communicating with the annular space about said pin and said nozzle being formed with a like plurality of channels communicating with said radial channels and with the discharge opening of the nozzle.

'7. An emulsifying device including a bowl, a cylinder having ports communicating with said bowl and formed with a centrally oriced bottom wall, a reciprocating plunger in said cylinder, ar'

ranged to govern said cylinder ports, a discharge nozzle at the bottom of said cylinder provided with a pin extending into and of smaller diameter than the orifice of said bottom wall, said nozzle and/or bottom cylinder wall being formed with a shallow recess concentric with said central orice, an elastic compressible member arranged within said chamber and normally yieldingly contacting portions of the upper and lower walls of said chamber, said member yielding under liquid pressure while the plunger is descending and expanding on the upward stroke of the plunger to prevent return of liquid upwardly.

HERBERT C. JOHNSON. 

